A (; plural: ) is an Irish medium playgroup for pre-school children, which follows the principle of Total Early Immersion. Definition A Naíonra or Naíscoil is an Irish-medium pre-school in which a Stiúrthóir, or Leader, speaks only Irish while interacting with the children, who are usually aged between 3 and 5 years of age. Naíonraí sessions usually last between 2 and 3.5 hours per day, which a child attends on a daily basis. The staff of the naíonra ensure every opportunity is made available to encourage the child's development physically, intellectually, creatively, aesthetically, socially, emotionally and linguistically. Naíonraí believe that the most suitable method of learning for children at this age is through the medium of play, and it is through this medium that every effort is made to assist in the holistic development of each child. Disambiguation In Northern Ireland Naíonra specifically refers to Irish language childcare for 2–3 year olds, whereas Naíscoil (infant school) is the term used for the 3 hour sessional care for 3–5 year olds. History The first Naíonra opened in 1968. In 1974 a voluntary organisation called Na Naíonra Gaelacha was established by Conradh Na Gaeilge with a view of promoting Irish medium pre-school education throughout Ireland. In 1978 Bord Na Gaeilge (now Foras Na Gaeilge) was founded by the Irish Government to act as a directly funded body to promote the use of Irish in all facets of life on the Island. That year, Na Naíonra Gaelacha was absorbed by Bord Na Gaeilge, and renamed An Comhchoiste Réamhscolaíochta and were funded to carry out their mission. Na Naíonra Gaelacha remit changed and they remain active as a networking organisation for all the Irish language preschool providers on the Island. They organise annual events like 'Lá Na Naíonra' in May and an annual conference 'Comhdháil na Naíonra Gaelacha' on the first Saturday of October. Altram was established in 1990 by childcare providers in Belfast and Derry to oversee the development of the Irish language childcare sector in Northern Ireland and continue to this day. But in the Republic of Ireland a further change in 2003 would see An Comhchoiste Réamhscolaíochta replaced by two separate organisations in order to better focus efforts on Gaeltacht and non-Gaeltacht regions. In 2003, Forbairt Naíonraí Teoranta (FNT) became the successor to An Comhchoiste, (which in turn was succeeded by Gaelscoileanna in 2015) while Comhar Naíonraí na Gaeltachta was established